At the 2011 Getaway Travel Blog Conference, Cameron Ewart-Smith, editor of Getaway Magazine, gave his tips on how to write great travel blogs. Judging from all the inspired tweets during his presentation, he left bloggers at the conference inspired to improve their travel blog writing.
Here are Cameron’s top ten tips for writing great travel blogs.
1. Write short
This is Cameron’s mantra at Getaway and what he tells us journalists every time we go on assignment. It’s true for both magazine writing and blog writing – people have short attention spans on the internet and your blog is competing with hundreds of platforms – email, social media sites etc. Aim to keep your blogs at 250 words.
2. Know your audience and write for them
After running the Getaway blog for eight months, we know what our readers enjoy: travel advice, top 10 lists, short posts, recipes and quirky lists and we try to give that kind of content to them as much as possible. Spend time working out who your audience is and what they want.
3. Snappy titles
The title may be the only chance to get to entice people to read your blog – make it snappy or intriguing (or both).
4. Control your readers’ emotions
It’s not what you write that counts, it’s what your audience reads. Remember that through building anticipation and using rhythm in your writing (ie short, snappy sentences when describing a tense moment) you can control what your readers feel about your post.
5. Introduction is everything
You have to catch readers in the first line – make the introduction enticing, engaging, evocative.
6. Plan, brainstorm, research, refine, research, refine, research
This is self-explanatory. Don’t write a post in five minutes when you’ve got a hangover – take time to plan it, research it, write it and edit it. The extra time and care will show up in your writing.
7. Be ruthless
You have to be your own editor when you’re a travel blogger. Don’t skimp on editing your own work – be ruthless. Read the post aloud to yourself before posting – if it’s hard to read aloud, then it’s hard to read.
8. Be descriptive
Avoid using words that aren’t really descriptive, such as ‘luxurious’, ‘beautiful’ and ‘stunning’. Use all your senses to create a portrait of a place – what does the place feel, smell, taste and sound like? Be evocative.
9. Find your voice and be authentic
Work on finding your own voice – this takes practice and a lot of writing exercises – and don’t try and force it. If you’re funny, write humorously, if you’re not funny don’t try and be funny.
10. Open-ended outros
There are many ways to end a blog post – with a conclusive ending (on a positive or negative note) or with an open-ended question or discussion point, which entice engagement. If you want your blog readers to leave a comment on your blog, invite them to do so with your open-ended outro.
Above all else, remember that you’re telling a story and that you need to be entertaining. You’re competing with hundreds of other information sources (not to mention 200 million other blogs) and you need to stand out to be read.
To read all the tweets from the conference, search for #GTBC on Twitter. Here are some of the tweets around Cameron’s talk:
@skattijay Time to hear what the editor has to say #GTBC #Getaway
@GetawayMagazine Our ed, @justcam, talking about writing for online RT @CapeTownTourism: Cameron up next @GetawayMagazine #GTBC
@skattijay Write short and take great pictures – Jane Eager #GTBC @justcam
@JaxLahoud On writing, @justcam says: ‘Write short & take great pictures’ never more important that for blogging… #GTBC
@MariettedTH There are 200m travel related blogs on web, hundreds launched daily. Being ‘found’ in this space is difficult…How do you stand out? #GTBC
@nadi_krige Best tip for travel blog writing: Write short (250 words max) and take great pics. i.e. show don’t tell! #GTBC
@GetawayMagazine RT @BarefootB: Tips for blogging by @justcam editor of Getaway: write short (max 250 words), take pics and make your opinion heard #gtbc
@BarefootB Tips for travel blogging by Cameron, editor of Getaway: write short (max 250 words), take pictures and make your opinion heard #gtbc
@HollyMeadowsSA: Top tips for travel blogging by @justcam 1.Advice 2.Top ten lists 3. Short 4. Recipes. 5. Quirk #GTBC #ttot
@Foodandthefab ‘there’s never been a worse time for publishers or better time for writers ‘ @justcam #GTBC
@GetawayMagazine Thanks @justcam: Great tips on online travel writing from our ed #GTBC
@BarefootB “Open-ended ‘outros’ give the reader the opportunity to engage” @justcam, editor or Getaway #gtbc
@GetawayMagazine That’s our ed 🙂 RT @Foodandthefab: Here’s a nugget: @justcam reads Cosmo for inspiration! he also spends time staring at the covers #GTBC
@nadi_krige @justcam says it’s okay to daydream! Lie on the grass, watch clouds go by, figure things out – sure to get some great ideas & posts. #GTBC
@DawnJorgensen Happy-making advice from @justcam “its okay to daydream” Well then this dreamer is on the right track for sure …. #GTBC #dreamer
@Foodandthefab Here’s a little nugget-@justcam reads Cosmo for inspiration! he also spends some time staring at the covers 0_o #GTBC
@skattijay It’s OK to daydream @justcam #GTBC #forshiz
@dancalders I have ” known” @justcam but never engaged with him -a very passionate editor. Learning, listening and in awe! #GTBC
@HollyMeadowsSA Top tips for travel blogging by @justcam 1.Advice 2.Top ten lists 3. Short 4. Recipes. 5. Quirk #GTBC
@GoTravel24 Haha! True bout ‘luxurious.’ RT @MariettedTH: @justcam: Ease off cliches… why choose “stunning”? I feel same about “luxurious”… #GTBC
@butterfingersZA @Foodandthefab not easy at all. I hate editing my own writing 😛 #GTBC
@MariettedTH @justcam: Ease off cliches…with all the words out there to paint with, why choose “stunning”? I feel same about “luxurious”… #GTBC
@nadi_krige Great tips from @justcam for storytelling at #GTBC: find your own, original voice. READ your writing aloud. Describe, explain, tell!
@BarefootB The daunting task of editing your own writing. @justcam ‘s tip: Read it aloud. If it’s hard to read aloud, it’s hard to read. #gtbc
@Foodandthefab Bloggers, read your work out loud, edit ruthlessly. You don’t have proof and copy editors, usually. Not easy, eh #GTBC
@butterfingersZA “Be ruthless about the quality of your work” – @justcam #GTBC #blogging
@CapeTownTourism @JustCam great advice – find your voice and tell your story in it and then edit ruthlessly #GTBC
@JaxLahoud ‘Right title, introduction, hold their hand, guide, use your senses, create a portrait of place. Find your voice’ @justcam #GTBC
@GoTravel24 If you want to tell a story well, find your own voice. If you’re not funny, don’t try to be funny and vice versa, says @justcam #GTBC
@dancalders “@TysonJopson: Stoked @justcam reading my blog intro at the #GTBC” great engaging writing!
@GoTravel24 Don’t get so wrapped up in your own writing that you forget abt the audience. Help them navigate the story. Explain. Describe #GTBC
@Foodandthefab Find your voice. ‘Not easy at all…especially if you have many, many moods and ways of expressing that’ says me #GTBC
@GetawayMagazine How do you tell stories? @justcam says find your voice and go with it #onlinewritingtips #GTBC
@MariettedTH Find your own voice. If you’re not particularly funny, don’t try to be…Pearls of wisdom from @justcam! #GTBC
@BarefootB “Remember the empathy for readers. Hold their hands and lead them through the process. Take them there.” @justcam #gtbc
@TysonJopson Stoked @justcam reading my blog intro at the #GTBC
@GoTravel24 Match the rhythm of your writing to the scenery or journey being described. Build anticipation. ‘Flirt.’ says @justcam #GTBC
@GetawayMagazine Ha, we love this: ‘I think I prefer vanilla’ @justcam comparing online travel to getting nookie #GTBC
@CapeTownTourism Build anticipation and flirt with your reader says @JustCam @GetawayMagazine #GTBC
@HollyMeadowsSA 200 million travel bloggers in the world today – what’s gonna make you stand out?! @justcam says ‘flirt with you reader!’ #GTBC
@BarefootB Your blog getting attention is all in the title. Make it snappy. Remember you are competing with the reader’s twitter feed @ justcam #gtbc
@Foodandthefab editor @GetawayMagazine, @justcam says” it’s not what you write, it’s what the audience reads”…hmmm #GTBC
@JaxLahoud Know your audience- they probably want humorous, informative, entertaining & short articles, give good advice #GTBC
@butterfingersZA “You control your reader’s emotions” – @justcam – revealing everything too quickly can dissolve the anticipation and interest. #GTBC
@DawnJorgensen @justcam gives tips on travel blogging. “Excellence is the only way to be noticed” Humour clearly helps 😉 #GTBC
@CapeTownTourism Its not what you write its what your audience reads that counts @JustCam #GTBC
@JaxLahoud @justcam says ‘It’s not what you write… It’s what your audience takes out that counts’ #GTBC
@GetawayMagazine ‘It’s not what you write, it’s what the audience takes out’ Great online writing tip from @justcam #GTBC
@skattijay Its not what you write,its what your audience reads That counts @justcam #GTBC
@mshoneybeeCT Its not what you write, its what your audience reads that counts #GTBC
@christiefynn “@BarefootB: Tips for travel blogging by Cameron, editor of Getaway: write short (max 250 words), take pics & make your opinion heard #gtbc”
@MariettedTH Not what you write…its what your audience reads that counts! #GTBC
@butterfingersZA “It’s not what you write… It’s what your audience reads that counts” – @justcam #GTBC
@nadi_krige Excellence is the only way to be noticed. Don’t expect greatness if you string something together in 5 mins with a hangover #GTBC @justcam
@JaxLahoud Final word from @justcam – Open ended outros entice engagement. #GTBC
@skattijay Inspired to rethink+improve my next #Getaway blog.Thanks for a great talk @justcam #GTBC
Here’s the full round up of the 2011 Getaway Travel Blog Conference.
